1861. 



THE ILLINOIS FARMER. 



133 



fruit buiis should be removed. The autumnal 

 shortni-jg of tl.e main stems should be attended 

 to as in the previous season. 



SECOJJD YEAR. 



The two shoots made during the second year 

 are rea'ly to be extended in a horizontal nl^nuer 

 and secured to t!ie newly erected trellis- The^e 

 branclus are now termed arms and are to be 

 cut back at the same time, so ns to leave two 

 good buds or eyes on each arm, so that the 'ip- 

 right scoots shall be eight or ten inches apart, 

 any intermediate buds must be rubbed oif. The 

 four shoots (hat are permitted to spring from 

 the arms must be trained to tie trellis or wail. 

 The summer and fall treatment must be the same 

 as in the previous season. 



F.URTII TE.VK. 



The two m"dd!e shoots or canes are suffered to 

 remain in their po-ition on the trelli*, only they 

 should be shortened to three or four inches in 

 bight at the time of the winter pruning. At this 

 time, also, the two outs'de shoots should be se>- 

 cured in she liiie. extending the aims, leavinjrtwo 

 pood eyes on each at the distance of eight or ten 

 inches apart, shortening the arms just beyond 

 the last bud designed to grow. This will add two 

 additional upriglits, and two to be laid down, ex- 

 tending the arms as before. The two uprights 

 remaining upon the trellis this season, juay be 

 permitted to mature each, two or three bunches 

 of fruit, all other bunches should be removed at 

 the time of boj-somiug. We will remark here 

 that the future health and productiveness of the 

 vine ifcpend niujh upon care in not allowing the 

 vine to over-bear. JNIosc persons are reluctant 

 to remove the germ of a single fruit ; but if the 

 number is not reduce i wittiin the capacity ef, the 

 vine to mature, atid at the same time admit of a 

 vigorous growth of wood, serious loss will be sus- 

 tained; besides ihe fruit of an overtaxed vii e is 

 of but little value. Ihis ppjcaution must never 

 be forgotten at any stage of the growth of tha 

 vine. 



Sr.MMEU pr.uxi.\G. 



The summer pruning consists in removing fdl 

 surplus branches, and pinching off the little side 

 shoots as we have befcre indicated, ieaviug a sin- 

 gle leaf at each pinching, and in shortening the 

 laterals upon wJiich the fruit is borne. These 

 should be cut back, leaving four or five leaves 

 outside of the last bunch of grapes. The Ger- 

 man vine dress rs of the West, many of them, 

 leave but one or two, a nnmber entirely ina ie- 

 quate to t'ne maturity of the fruit. This shorten- 

 ing of the fruit bearing branches is performed 

 when the grapes are about the size of soiall peas. 



— A coteniporary states that "Mr. Taft was 

 run over and killed on the Cleveland road, the 

 other day," and adds that a ''similar misfor- 

 tune'^ occurred to him about two years ago !" A 

 few more such 'similar misfortunes' will be the 

 death of him ! 



The Soil at Cottage Hill and the culture 

 of the May Cherry. 



MEETING OF THE GAEDESEK S SOCIETY. 



At the regular meeting of the Giirdcner's So- 

 ciety, at their rooms la.'^t evening, discussion uprn 

 the adoption of the new constitution was defer- 

 red 10 listen to the report of James W^. Wake- 

 nian, oa the subject of Cherry planting, which 

 we print below. — Chicago Tribune. 



Mr President : — The subject of the cherry is 

 introduced. The question is asked me if our lo- 

 cation is not very favorable for that fruit. Some 

 correspondents have eulogized our location and 

 soil about Cottage Hill as being adaj ted to frait 

 growing, we thi k beyond its lueri s. Our advan- 

 tages and disadvantages are quite in common with 

 others around us. Our location is fifteen miles 

 nearly west, eighry-two feet above the level of the 

 lake We are five miles wt; st fi oiu the DespiaineF, 

 aud fifty-two feet above that stream — only our ex- 

 posure is e;iste:n. Our elevaiiof , as can be seen, 

 is not great. We are remote from timber, except 

 our little shrubbery, Common prairie soil, mostly 

 peaty, spotgy, uuderlad with a strata of yell )W- 

 ish clay, which connects with blue c'ay, vshich 

 extends down about thiity feet, when we come to 

 pletity of water. Our soil is of that class wlitch 

 suffers greatly for drainage. Yet we are confi- 

 dent nearly all o:;r losses and disappointments in 

 fiuit g'owmg can and will be avoided by making 

 a proper sel- ction of varieties, properly setting 

 them out, and having a kntavledge of snme 

 correct system of at:ei)diDg to iheir afier re quire- 

 metits. Nearly ail varieties of the Morelio class 

 are perfectly at home with us. They require 

 plenty of uitnure and little of the Unite. With 

 us the Dukes mostly are hardy in tree but sby 

 bearers.' Tne Hearts and Bigarrecus are some- 

 what tet.der, but we cann' t give them up yet. 

 They have with us borne five • uccessive crops. 

 We keep them quite low by cutting back in the 

 spring iu order to get reliable fruit spurs and 

 youi g tearing weed: also a large round full lie^d, 

 conij act !S pussi! le with most varieties. On the 

 other hand if the top be allowed to run up, the 

 sap shuns the fruit spurs below, and most td' them 

 perish; the branches naked, growth mostly in the 

 t ip; Some ye irs the fruit rots badly — the tops 

 of the hg:;est rot first. Of three branches oa 

 different trees which were rung or choked, the 

 fruit all rotted, while the balance of the fruit 

 was sound. We believe the rot is caused by in- 

 ward pressure of sap aided ! y external wet. 



AVe surface drain all our fruit ground by plow- 

 ing in ridges — it bring too stony to mole drain, 

 and oi;r pockets being too light to underdrain. 

 Two things are necessary for these trees : tirst, 

 a deep soil for the extension of their roots beyond 

 too hard frosts and the efftct of severe drouth, 

 which puts them in a state of rest through the • 

 summer, when they begin to grow in the fall and 

 get winter killed. Secondly, they must have a 

 chance to k( ep out of standing water ; then if 

 they are kept down low all will be right. Each 



